Wawczak charged after altercation with Peterson

Drew Peterson’s former friend Len Wawczak was charged with battery Firday after the two argued outside a Bolingbrook barbershop.

Danya Hooker

Drew Peterson’s former friend Len Wawczak was charged with battery Friday after the two argued outside a Bolingbrook barbershop.

Bolingbrook police were called to Hyroglyphics about 1:30 p.m. for reports that the two men were fighting in the barbershop’s parking lot, according to a statement released by Bolingbrook police spokesman Lt. Ken Teppel.

Wawczak allegedly confronted Peterson in the parking lot and began yelling obscenities at him, according to reports. The altercation came two days after Wawczak and his wife, Paula Stark, told media outlets that they had worn police-issued wires to record nearly seven months of conversations with the former Bolingbrook police sergeant who is the sole suspect in his fourth wife’s disappearance.

Wawczak was allegedly disturbed by reports that Peterson had told people he had sex with Stark. Peterson, according to reports, had turned his back while Wawczak was yelling at him, when Wawczak pushed him from behind.

Both men voluntarily went to the police station to provide written statements, Teppel said. Police charged Wawczak about 3:30 p.m. with a local battery violation based on Peterson’s statements and eyewitness testimony.

Teppel said Peterson had been released from the police station. Wawczak was still being processed as of 4:40 p.m.

Danya Hooker, who writes for the Chicago Suburban Group, can be reached at dhooker@mysuburbanlife.com.